Labyrinth of a Promised Nightmare
by Shinigami Nyanko
Summary: The man in the portrait has been asleep, forgotten, for five long years. The girl in the real world has grown into a mature young woman and finds herself entranced by the lonely painting. Reunited, the two journey through a maze of mysteries to regain memories that were once lost. Based off of the Forgotten Portrait Ending. Garry x Ib
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone~  
Lin here with a new fic up.  
I wrote this last minute before I had to start school.  
I don't know how long this fic is going to be.  
It's a heterosexual fanfic, so I am taking a break from  
my BL writing.  
Please enjoy this lovely fic about Garry and Ib.  
This fanfic is based on the Forgotten Portrait ending.  
I hope you enjoy.  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "IB" OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. KOURI DOES.  
I DO HOWEVER, OWN THIS FANFIC.**

* * *

Dark silence. This is my world—nothing but black and blue shadows. The scent of roses is a comfort and I feel as though I'm sleeping in a cradle of vines. I'm at ease here but I always felt as if I was missing something. If I could open my eyes, what would I see? Then again, why would I want to wake up? I'm content as I am in this shadow filled dream. But, why do I feel so cold?

This soundless void is all I have, but every now and then, I hear a gentle voice from the abyss; a painfully warm and nostalgic voice that speaks of a promise—one that I have long forgotten. Every time I'm on the brink of remembering it, a low whisper tells me to forget and return to the dream. And as always, I obey it. I don't know who the whisper belongs to, but it's the closest thing to a friend I have.

"Who am I?" I wonder to myself as I continue to sleep.

"_You are no one,"_ the whisper says. _"You are a forgotten memory locked away in this cold place."_

"Forgotten…"

"_Yes, but do not fear,"_ it answers as I feel the vines protectively tighten around my body. _"I am here and I will never forget you. So sleep. And forget of your worries."_

The soft aroma of roses overtakes the senses and the once conscious mind recedes back into the darkness. The vines cradle the fragile existence into their artificial embrace. A ghostly hand strokes the individual's head till its curious thoughts no longer echo.

_"Sleep and dream in this darkness,"_ the deep whisper says as it moves its hand away. _"When that child returns, you shall awaken. Till then, be at peace…Garry."_

**Chapter 1**

**welcome to the labyrinth of blue roses **

Ib folded her handkerchief into her pocket before staring out the car window at the passing cityscape. Five years had passed since the Guertena art exhibit had visited Japan. She was only nine the last time it had come around and, from what she remembered, she enjoyed it. Seeing the odd abstract pieces brought her wonder and the traditional still-life paintings calmed her mind. There were gaps in her memory and whenever she thought about the exhibit she felt as if she was missing something. However, Ib blamed her lack of memory on her young age.

Her parents were avid art-goers so she had been to several art museums and exhibits in her years. But out of all the displays and artworks Ib had seen, Guertena's collection had left the biggest impression on her for some reason. When her parents had gotten word that Guertena's pieces would be back in town, Ib was eager to go.

Her parents were surprised when Ib had asked if she could come with them with such zeal. Ib was a quiet young girl and tended to bury herself in novels and art books. She was well behaved and would tag along with her parents if they requested to bring her along to their social gatherings. She was a young lady of high class and thus she behaved like one. She was sociable but was not entirely fond of large crowds and would rather choose to stay at home than go out. However, whenever she was alone, she found herself sitting in her room with a plate of macaroons and a cup of tea as she flipped through pages of art and text. The girl had gotten much better at reading and had developed a shared love for the arts like her parents. The books acted as an escape from her high-ended lifestyle and she felt as free as a bird whenever she looked through them.

Ib's art books had taken over a good portion of her room to the point one of her walls was covered with bookshelves. She took pride her in collection but amongst her vast library, there was one book that claimed her heart as her favorite. It was a Guertena art book. She had quite a few volumes based on his works but this particular one was special to her. It was not as thick as the others were but it was rare because it contained one of his last pieces—_The Forgotten Portrait_.

The portrait had a simple beauty to it and Ib felt a connection to the lonely image of the sleeping man. On her previous visit, she had only seen the painting for a few seconds before getting pulled away by her mother, so she was eager to view it once again. Whenever she was at home looking at the art book, she found herself staring at the page for several minutes, or even hours. The mysterious painting fascinated her but there were times it had brought her to tears. If she stared at it for too long, she would begin to cry without ever knowing why. It was painfully lonely but its serene beauty acted as a pacifier to her.

She felt other emotions as she looked at the other works of Guertena. Most filled her with curiosity and awe but there were a number that she found herself being terrified of. She had no idea why, but some images gave her chills and ominous auras. _The Fabricated World_ and _The Lady in Red _were such pieces. Ib was not very fond of the paintings even though they were amongst his better known masterpieces. She recognized them as masterworks but they gave off bad vibes and the girl didn't want anything to do with them. Regardless of what others claimed as their favorites of Guertena's, Ib was adamant on her choice being _The Forgotten Portrait. _

"Ib, we're here," called her mother from the front seat.

Ib leaned her head against the glass to see the museum. Last time the exhibit was held in a much smaller museum so she was a bit taken back at the large building in front of her.

"They say it's his complete collection," spoke her father as if reading her mind. "Last time they exhibited only a portion of his works."

"Oh how wonderful!" chimed her mother. "Isn't that lovely, Ib? I know how much you love Guertena's works."

The young girl felt a pang of anticipation and she smiled brightly. "Yes," she answered as she pushed her long brown hair behind her ear. "I can hardly wait to see them in person again, mother."

As expected of the opening day to a rare art exhibit, the museum was packed with people. Ib hoped that the large pool of guests would disperse throughout the large museum's other collections. And to her relief, they did. But there were still quite a few people that were interested in seeing Guertena's exhibit. Her mother and father were smart enough to get their family tickets ahead of time so, lucky for them, they did not have to stand in line. As they entered into the gallery, Ib was handed a pamphlet that briefly described Guertena's artist background and style. All in all, Ib was already aware of most of the stated facts so she neatly carried the folded cardstock at her side as she walked with her parents.

The exhibition was in a large extended hall with three floors in total. Each room in the building was color coded to his evolving style's timeline. Ib's eyes widened in awe. She didn't know where to start. There was just so much to see. She turned to her parents with flushed cheeks and overly shimmering eyes.

"Mother, father," she said trying to hide her desire to run off. "I…May I…um…"

Her mother turned to her father and smiled back at Ib. "Ib, you're free to go off and explore but please stay in this complex, understand?" said her mother, "And make sure not to lose your handkerchief."

"Your mother and I will be taking the tour, are you sure you don't want to join us?" asked her father as he looked at his maturing daughter.

Ib nodded to her mother and smiled at her father. "Yes, father. I am very much familiar with Guertena's life works and I wish to see them with my own interpretation," she replied.

Her father sighed with a sad smile as he looked at his child. His beloved daughter was so mature for her age and it wouldn't be long till she'd fly away from the nest. He had to let her go some time in the future but as a father he wished that day would never come. He had difficultly on letting her be by herself or to let her go off with friends, which was why he had his wife.

Ib's mother gently rested her hand on her husband's arm as she nodded to Ib. "Be careful, love," she said sending her daughter off. Ib curtsied to her parents and trotted off towards one of the many rooms in the hall.

"She's growing up, isn't she?" her father muttered softly.

Her mother leaned her head against his shoulder. "Yes she is," she replied with a reassuring smile.

He rested a hand atop of his betrothed for comfort. "I don't like watching her back turn away from us," he said as Ib vanished into one of rooms. "But the one thing I fear is the day when a man will appear and take her away from me."

"You mean us," his wife said tapping him on the head with her pamphlet causing him to turn his attention to her. "Silly man," she said with a giggle. "When that time comes, that man will have to get your permission to take her. And I'll be right next to you, my dear. Do not forget that you did the same to my father when you took me away."

"Don't remind me," he said as he flushed two shades of red with a shudder. He looked back towards Ib's direction with a forlorn gaze, "Ib is a strong but fragile girl so, as her father, I can only hope she'll find a proper man who can take care of her in my place."

Ib's mother smiled as her gazed narrowed to looked on with him. "I'm sure she will. She is our daughter after all," she said, "But it might take a while since she's enamored with that particular painting."

"Indeed, if only she'd continue to be infatuated with it," he said forcing himself to turn away, "that way no one could take her from me."

His beloved blinked before letting out a small laugh. "You're such a doting father, dear," she said as the two walked into the nearest room. "What if that painting came to life? Would you say the same thing?"

"Please don't joke like that," he said turning white.

"Fufu, I'm kidding," she said as he escorted her into the room, "Now let's find us a tour guide."

* * *

Ib scurried about the exhibits with awe. It was a whole new world to her as she ventured about the various rooms. Some paintings brought back familiar memories and she couldn't help but to smile when she saw paintings she recognized.

"_Lady with Her Umbrella_," she said as she stepped in front of the painting. Despite its lonely content it made her feel warm inside. She smiled to herself as she observed the other paintings. "_Serpent's Spirit_," she said as she noticed the abstract piece. She closed her eyes and pondered aloud, "The year was…6248." After her educated guess, she leaned in closer to the name plate to confirm her answer and smiled with pride when she got it right.

"_The Juggler_, 6223" she continued, quizzing herself as she weaved her way through, and stopped to take in the artworks she didn't recognize. Being in a place surrounded by works she loved made her feel at home. When she had finished her rounds on the first floor she made her way to the second floor.

"_She's here,"_ a low voice echoed.

As she climbed the stairs she looked down below to see the large undersea painting, "_Abyss of the Deep_". It was a painting she had mixed feelings about. She didn't hate it, but it made her feel a bit nostalgic for some reason.

"It really is an amazing piece," she whispered to herself as she paused on the stairs to look at it. "But it's curious why I feel a sense of nostalgia from it."

Ib continued upward and stepped into a room filled with various sculptures. "Twinkling of Crystals and Stars," she named as she walked around the shimmering tree-like crystal sculpture. Seeing the three dimensional pieces in person really gave her a different perspective compared to the pictures of them in her books. The young teen slowly walked around them to take the pieces in as a whole.

She observed each one of the displays but her body froze when she found herself in front of "_Death of the Individual_". She quickly averted her eyes and made sure to walk along the far edge of the wall as if fearing they'd notice her and run after her. It was a stupid to fear a group of mannequins but Ib couldn't help herself. She did not understand why she felt uneasy around them but it was a similar feeling she had around the "_Lady in Red_" from downstairs. Ib hustled out of the room and found herself by the stairs to the third floor.

"The third floor," she said as she looked up the stairwell, "if I recall that's where _that _painting is." She placed a hand over her chest and took a deep breath as if she was preparing to meet a long lost friend. "Alright," she said as she opened her crimson eyes.

_"You've come back,"_ the soft voice whispered into her ear.

"Eh…?" Ib quickly turned her head to look behind her. Her eyes scanned the hall and saw no one in particular around. "Was it my imagination?" she mumbled to herself as she slowly began to walk up the flight of stairs.

Ib gradually made her way up to the third floor, taking care in each step she took. The third floor was much smaller than the other two as it only had one large room with a few dividers in the center. It was much less crowded than the first two floors, much to her liking, which allowed her look at the pieces without feeling rushed. She felt at peace as she made her way around the floor.

"_Embodiment of Spirit_," she said as she stepped up to the large sculpture of a rose. It was one of Guertena's sculptures that Ib fancied but, like most of his pieces that she liked, it made her sad. "You really are a magnificent work of art," she said.

"_I'm over here,"_ the voice echoed.

Ib turned away from the floral piece and looked around her. _That voice again._ She thought. It appeared that she was the only one that could hear the odd whisper, which made Ib feel a bit uncomfortable but the voice wasn't malevolent sounding. If anything, it was a very kind and smooth voice. But why did she feel as if she knew this voice from somewhere?

She shook off the voice once more and observed the sculpture before her and closed her eyes as she thought of all the pieces of art she had seen. "It'd be nice if I could stay here like this," she whispered to herself.

_"I wouldn't be so sure about that,"_ the voice said in a hush.

The young girl looked around once more for the owner of the voice to no avail. Most of the people that were on the third floor were observing the red rose that was in full bloom. As she turned her attention back to the sculpture, Ib began to feel a dire need to locate a particular portrait. She had been eager to see it but a sudden rush of urgency came over her. She turned away from the masterpiece and began to move away from the crowd. She wasn't in a trance or anything, but her body was weaving her through the unknown room as if if knew exactly where her goal was. Her mind was at ease while her heart fluttered with anticipation. It was as if some unknown force was pulling her towards it.

Yet, as she got closer to the lone portrait, the air grew cold and the murmurs of people began to die down. However, Ib's conscious mind was far too lax to take notice. When she snapped from her daze, she was standing in front of the portrait that she had come this far to see. It was just like it was in her book, no, it was even lovelier in person. The sleeping man looked as if he was in such peace but, it really was a lonely image. The museum had even placed the painting on a wall by itself as if to emphasize its content. Ib smiled at the painting. "I finally get to see you again," she softly said.

_"I've been waiting for you for so long,"_ the whisper echoed.

Ib jumped and took a few steps backward as she looked around her for the source of the voice. "Who…said that?" she asked.

_"You came back…I'm glad,"_ it said.

Ib's heart stopped when she realized where the hushed whisper was coming from. Her head slowly turned back to the portrait. "…is it you?" she asked in a near whisper.

Just then, the man in the painting slowly began to open his eyes. His lifeless expression gently changed into a kind and gentle smile as he looked at her. Ib's eyes began to widen in shock but, strangely, she wasn't afraid of the man in the frame. He slowly raised his hand to her from within the canvas as if asking her to take it. Ib clenched her hand against her chest as she debated on whether or not to take it. She looked down at the floor as her mind tried to wrap itself around the current situation. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Or was this really happening?

The portrait's gaze softened as it gave her a patient smile. _"Don't be afraid, Ib,"_ it echoed without moving its lips.

Ib looked back up and suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes. Confused, Ib brought her hands to her eyes and began to wipe away the droplets of water. _Why am I crying?_ She thought to herself. But no matter what she did, the tears wouldn't stop. _Why do I feel as if I'm forgetting something very important?_

"_Don't cry, Ib,"_ the low voice said in a kind murmur. _"Come, I'll wipe those tears away."_

Ib looked back up at the portrait but found the man was gone and the vines of the roses were growing amok out of the frame. The girl let out a small gasp as the vines began to coil around her at an increasingly fast rate. Ib opened her mouth to call for help but the cold dark vines made her senses go numb. And just as she fell unconscious, she never felt more at peace.

"_My dear child, forgive my selfishness. I only want to leave this world together with you_," echoed the distant voice. _"Fear not. I will guide you through the labyrinth, but only if you keep your promise."_

* * *

The floor was cold, but not freezing. However, the darkness did send a chill down her spine. Ib was awoken when a rose petal fell on the tip of her nose. As she came to her senses, she found herself lying on a marble floor. She propped herself up to take in the scenery and realized she was in the middle of some sort of crystal dome. The ceiling was high and the rose vines had found their way all the way to the top. The "sunlight" was dimmed due to the dense cover of plants but the light scent of roses made the darkened room feel a bit brighter. The room was pretty much empty, save a rose covered casket and a small garden table and chair set in the middle of the room.

"Where am I?" Ib asked herself as she looked around the room. "And what was I doing just now?" she asked holding her head in her hand. Seeing how she wasn't going to get any answers by sitting on the floor she rose to her feet. There weren't any visible exits from what she saw and no one else was in the room. Or so she thought.

Intuition told her to turn around and she saw something shimmering on the table. Taking it as a clue, Ib walked over to the white table and saw a pair of roses sitting in a small glass vase. Ib stared at the blue and red roses and tried to gather up her thoughts. The last thing she remembered seeing was the gigantic rose sculpture back at the museum and the rest was a blank. She shook her head and turned to look about the spacious dome once more. In any case, she had to find a way out of here. But, something about the red rose charmed her.

Ib turned her attention back to the small red rose and lightly stroked it's petals with her finger. Small beads of dew slipped from its blossom and down the stem. It had lost a few petals but it was still a pretty little flower. Her scarlet gaze then shifted over to the blue rose. It was in full bloom and it looked as if it was protecting the smaller red one. She moved her hand away and gently took the red rose's stem into her hands. As she began to take the flower out of its resting place she heard a groan.

The sudden noise startled her and she let the rose fall back into the vase. The moan had come from behind the casket and she was hesitant to check. The girl stared at the rose covered alter-like object for a good few seconds. "Hello?" she chimed as she cautiously inched closer to it.

She swallowed hard as she leaned her head to the side keeping her distance as she rounded the casket's edges. However, she quickly hid behind the chair when a figure began to hobble up to its feet.

"Hn? Where…is this?" the figure said as it rubbed the back of its neck, "Ow, my neck is killing me…how long was I asleep, I wonder?"

Ib blinked as she peeked over the head of the chair. The figure in question appeared to be a man in his late teens with messy lavender hair. His long black tattered coat dropped a little below his knees as he rose to his feet. His gaze shifted around the dome in search for an exit. He didn't seem to be a bad person but he was a stranger. As Ib leaned forward to get a better look at him, the chair unexpectedly screeched at her weight.

The young man quickly turned his head towards the table, making causing Ib to duck in cover. "W-Who's there?" he called as his voice cracked, "I-Is someone in here?"

The girl slowly peeked out from the side and blinked at the man. Her voice silenced out of mild fear. The gentleman blinked back at her as he slowly crouched down to her eye level. His one visible eye eased up and he let out a soft sigh of relief. "Hello there," he said softly, "Don't be scared. I'm not anyone suspicious."

_No, I'm plenty suspicious from her stand point. _He thought to himself. _But what's a little girl doing in here?_

Ib slowly rose to her feet. "A-Are you, from the museum?" she asked.

The man blinked a few times. _Museum?_ A sudden flash of images of the museum came to mind. "Oh, um, yes…I guess," he replied, "Are you?"

She nodded and took a few steps towards the man. Her eyes narrowed as she got closer to him. He looked familiar. "I don't know how I got here but when I woke up I…"

The man stood up and nodded. "Yeah, the same goes for me," he said as he slowly stepped towards her.

As Ib cautiously approached him, her eyes widened in shock as she recognized him as the man from the portrait. _But how could thid be?_ _Or more so, how could she have NOT have recognized him? _Ib stood speechless as she gazed at the man. Seeing the sudden change of expression on her face the man paused in his steps.

"Huh? Um, young miss? I-Is something wrong?" He asked cocking his head at her. "Are you alri-"

"U-Um!"

The man jumped at her sudden outburst, "Y-Yes?!" And here he thought she was a quiet little thing.

Ib looked at him with desperate eyes that were filled with anxiety and curiosity. "W-What is your na-oh, I should introduce myself first. U-Um," she stuttered. She took a deep breath as she collected her nerves. She wasn't afraid of him but she couldn't stop shaking. "My name is Ib. W-What is your name?" she asked blinking at the lengthy young man.

"_Ib"? Why does that name feel so familiar? _He stared at her for a few seconds and smiled. "Nice to meet you Ib," he said, "My name is-" A sudden black void filled his mind and memory. "Huh…?"

The young girl didn't move but she knew something was wrong. Or rather, she knew what was wrong, considering the title of the painting.

Thoughts of the dark unknown filled the man's thoughts and he suddenly felt scared and alone. He begen to tremble as he looked down at his hand and brought it over his face, "Who…am I?"

* * *

**And that was chapter 1.  
It was alot shorter than my chapters for  
"Captive to Captivate".  
I don't know when I'll post next but I thank you all for reading.  
Please R&R!  
I enjoy reading your reviews and they help motivate me to write~  
See you next time and enjoy the ride~  
-Lin**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello guys.  
I was able to type up chapter 2~  
Lots of crying in this chapter.  
I don't know when chapter 3 will be up  
but I hope you enjoy.  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "IB" OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. KOURI DOES!  
I DO HOWEVER, OWN THIS FANFIC.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**scattered petals of the mind**

The man stood lost and confused as he desperately tried to grasp memories that were no longer present. He had no idea who he was or where he came from. Even though he had said he had come from the museum, he had no recollection of actually being there. The only thing he had was a frozen image of what appeared to be a room in a gallery. He trembled as loss turned to frustration then to sorrow. The man collapsed to his knees as he held the sides of his head as if trying to squeeze out any hidden pieces of information he had bottled up inside of him. But sadly, not so much as a name came to mind. He bit back a whimper as he tried to recall anything about himself. He couldn't remember anything and he felt himself slowly falling apart.

"Who…am I?" he asked aloud again as his sight blurred from tears. "What am I doing here? I don't remember. I don't remember anything!"

He wrapped his arms around himself in need to hold something that he could rightfully say was his. His mind and recollections were gone, leaving the shell of a man behind with nothing but a body and the clothes on his back. Ib painfully watched the man break down before her, but she couldn't bear to watch. She felt her own eyes begin to water at the agonizing display of the stranger suffering. She couldn't imagine forgetting about her parents, friends, and even her own name. The thought terrified her. She had no idea what it would be like to forget absolutely everything about her life, but she could see how agonizing it was. Would it be the best choice to explain to him what he was? Or would it be better to keep it hidden?

_No. I can't do that to him._ She thought to herself. She had to be strong. Ib wiped her eyes and walked over to him.

The man's tremors began to cease when a small hand patted his head. "It's okay," the young girl quietly said to him. Ib didn't know what else she could do for him, the only thing she could give him was comfort. "I don't know if my guess of your identity is right but, it's going to be okay."

The man slowly raised his head with teardrops at the corners of his eyes. "You…know me?" he asked confusedly. "But you asked what my name was, didn't you?"

Ib nodded. "I can't say I know you personally but, there was something I wanted to confirm," she said as she adjusted her red skirt to crouch down. "Um, if you don't mind, would you be so kind as to listen to my story?"

He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath before giving her a small nod. Ib, then gently took the man's hand and helped him up as she led him over to the table to take a seat. She began to tell him about the "_Forgotten Portrait_" and what she had been doing prior in the museum. The man listened intently to her explanation and her guess of how he was the actual portrait itself. It was a lot to take in and it seemed crazy but it would explain their current predicament.

"But," Ib interjected, "you don't look like a painting at all. I mean, you look like the person in the painting, but you seem very human to me, so I might be wrong."

She looked down at her twirling fingers as if trying to ignore the fact that she just explained something completely and utterly impossible. _He probably thinks I'm crazy._ She thought.

The man, however, didn't laugh or ridicule her hypothesis. Instead he was taking it to heart. He was listening intently to her and when she was done he looked back down at his hands. "A painting…huh?" he said as the information began to sink in. "Maybe I am one, I mean that would explain why I can't remember being in the real world. I just remember one quick glimpse of what looked like a gallery. But, I feel as if that's not the whole picture."

Ib sat quietly across from him, listening, as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "I mean, I feel as if I have a past in the other world," he continued as he raised his hand up to the artificial sunlight, "I feel a heartbeat in me and I feel as if I have a name, not a title." He flexed his fingers as he stared at them intensely. "But there's something that bothers me about all of this," he muttered.

Ib looked up with her rabbit like eyes. "What?" she asked.

His eyebrows furrowed as he began to vocalize his thoughts. "You said that this art exhibit has been on tour and the painting I look like was that of a _sleeping_ man," he whispered. "And the only clear thing I can remember was having a glimpse of the gallery _you _came from," he continued, "I can say that since I think I saw you in front of me."

The adolescent girl lightly tugged at her skirt as she began to remember how she ended up in this bizarre place.

He rolled his fists into a ball as he looked away from the girl sitting across from him. "I can only think that reason behind that is," he swallowed, "that the painting…no…_I_ woke up."

Like a chemical reaction, Ib's eyes shot wide open. Glints of the moments before she woke up on the marble floor, hit her like a ton of bricks. _The voice. The smiling painting. The roses…I remember!_

She abruptly sat up in her seat. "I remember!"

The puzzled portrait man jumped. "R-Remember?!"

She settled into her seat once again as she turned red at another one of her sudden outbursts. "That is, I remember how I got here," she said avoiding eye contact. _I'm probably startling him more that I should. I'm acting like a total nut. _

Timidly, Ib glanced back over to the lavender haired gentleman seated across the table. The man let out a sigh as he eased up. "Can you tell me?" he asked with a small reassuring smile, "It might help me remember what happened to me."

The brunette opened her small mouth with a tiny blush before she bobbed her head into a nod. "There was a voice," she began, "it sounded a lot like yours but it was somehow very different." She looked down into her lap before continuing. "It had been talking to me before I had even entered the room with the _Forgotten Portrait_ in it. But when I did get in there…," she paused as she looked over at the roses in the vase.

The kind stranger's eyes did not break from her. "Go on," he said in his gentle voice.

Ib looked back at him, and gave him a small smile before losing it to her story. "I remember walking over to the portrait, but it felt as if someone was leading me over," she confessed trying not to tremble, "when I stood before it, I realized the voice I had been hearing was…coming from within the painting. A-And…the man inside w-woke up…" Her small hands were trembling and the waves of overwhelming lonliness returned. Tiny tears began to fall from her eyes. "I-I don't know why but…I began to cry as he smiled at me, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. A-And the rose vines in the painting wrapped themselves around me…and I ended up here," she finished as her voice began to crack.

The older man opened his mouth to say something as he watched the girl slowly crumble but before he could reach out to her, she looked up at him again with tear filled eyes. No, she wasn't looking at him. She was desperately looking for an answer to her inner turmoil.

She was looking straight at him as if he had the answers as the hot drops of water fell. "B-But I-I wasn't afraid of him!" she let out as her voice grew more erratic, "I was scared when the roses suddenly coiled around me but not of him! I feel as if…as if he was someone very important to me!" her voice cracked.

It was breaking the man's heart as he sat and watched the young girl spill her heart out. "But why?" she quietly cracked, "if he's someone important to me, why…can't…I…," the rest of her sentence was replaced by a line of sobs. She didn't understand where this sadness was coming from. It was as if she had forgotten an important detail in her life, a very tragic detail that she wasn't supposed to forget.

The child's tears wouldn't stop no matter how desperately she wiped them away. She felt as if the tears would never cease, until a hand gently stoked her head. "That must have been terrifying. I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said as he lightly petted her head, "It's alright, you haven't done anything wrong. So don't be sad, Ib."

The boy's touch was so kind and gentle. And as she looked up, his lips curled into sad yet genuinely caring smile. His hands felt warm against her skin as he brushed them across her cheeks to wipe away her tears. She didn't even know this person yet this kindness felt painfully familiar. She sniffled as she took her handkerchief out of her pocket, allowing a lone luminous blue rose petal to gently float down to the floor. She dabbed her eyes. "Thank you," she said as she looked back to him with her puffy red eyes.

"I can't really call myself a man if I don't do anything when I see a crying girl in front of me," he replied, with an awkward smile, "I would have offered you a handkerchief but I don't have one with me."

She let out a small giggle, "It's alright," she smiled, "I apologize for suddenly crying like that."

His hair shifted as he tilted his head to the side with a smile. "Don't be," he said, "There's nothing wrong with crying. I mean, I just cried and I want to cry right now since I can't remember much of anything."

Ib's smile dropped. _That's right, he can't remember anything._ "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No, no. Don't apologize!" he said, waving his hand in front of him, "Your story helped a little bit. I feel as if I'm on the verge of remembering something…Really."

The young girl gave him a sad look—she couldn't help but want to help him in some way. Yet, she couldn't keep referring him as "you". She bit her lip as her cheeks began to pinken. The lean boy leaned his forehead on his interlocked hands as he tried to remember whatever it was that was teasing him.

Ib fidgeted in her seat. _What am I so nervous about? He's a nice person. _But she needed to know something to call him by. "U-Um, what should I call you?" she shyly asked. "I mean, _Forgotten Portrait_ is a bit long and sounds rather sad."

The man from the portrait let out a sigh and shook his head as he closed his eyes trying to focus on some type of memento to confirm he was human at some point and had a proper name. "It's on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember," he said as he dropped his head into his hands once again.

As, the young girl placed her handkerchief back into her pocket, she noticed the glowing blue rose petal on the floor. She blinked at it before placing it on the pure white table. _I guess it fell into my pocket when all those vines came at me. _

Her fellow sitting partner, glanced up and looked at the petal. "A rose petal?" he asked.

"Ah. Yes," she replied, "I think it got caught on me when those roses wra-?,"

The man's gaze grew distant as his hand reached out for the lone petal. His one visible eye glazed over as he fell into a trance-like state. Ib observed him in silence as his fingers came in contact with the blue petal. But the second he touched it, the blue rose in the vase erupted into a flurry of scattered petals, leaving behind a naked rose stalk. The soft petal on the table shattered like glass into thousands of glittering azure pieces. The man's eyes shot open and Ib let out a small scream as she shielded her eyes from the bright flash. As the light died down, the young girl squinted and saw the shimmering shards begin to piece themselves, like a mosaic puzzle, into a small sapphire rose bud on the empty stalk.

Ib stared at the reborn rose in awe as it shimmered with even more beauty that it had originally. Its shade of blue was pure and reflected a vibrant new life. Even the water in the vase seemed clearer and the red rose seemed brighter as it swayed in the aftershock of the light show. She looked away from the roses and back to the unmoving man across from her. His mauve locks fell over his face as he sat in silence.

Concerned, the young girl reached her hand out to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Garry…," he said.

She blinked. "Pardon?"

"My name," he said as he moved his bangs out of his eyes, "My name is, Garry." Her mouth dropped as he looked up at her. He was smiling but his eyes were full of tears.

"I remember my name. Thank goodness," he said as slow tears rolled down his cheek, "I have a name…a normal name for a person…I'm glad…so very glad."

Ib smiled as Garry wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "That's a lovely name," she said, "Nice to meet you, Garry."

He smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Ib."

"But, how?" she asked blinking her eyes. "Did something happen in that light?"

Garry scratched his head. "I don't really know, to be honest," he replied as he looked up in thought, "I just remember feeling like I HAD to touch that petal and then the next thing I knew, I remembered my name. It's odd, now I'm wondering how I could have forgotten my name so easily."

"I guess that's how memories work," she answered as she glanced at the roses, "They're a part of us and when we forget them it's like a piece of us is missing." She poked the red rose and beamed down at it. "And when we remember them, it's like they were hiding right under our noses and were with us the whole time."

He grinned at her as he flipped his messy hair back into place. "That's a nice way to put it," he said. "But where did all these blue petals come from?" he asked as he looked around them and saw the remains of the previous incarnation of the blue rose.

Ib returned the happy expression but then turned serious as she looked at the vase. "When you touched that petal, the blue rose in the vase destroyed itself and the petal fell apart and became this little one," she replied as she gingerly caressed the small blue rose bud. "Do you think that some of your memory returning has something to do with this flower?" she asked as she pulled the vase into the center of the table.

The man peered down at the roses and stared intently at the blue bud. "Maybe. But that flower has gotten considerably smaller, hasn't it?" he said, "However, I think it's prettier than it was before."

"You think so, too?"

"Yes," he said as he gently picked it out of the vase, "I like it."

"I do too," she replied with a smile.

As Garry scanned over the rose he started to look more an more awe-filled. "How peculiar," he muttered as he twisted the rose around, "it's so full of life."

Following Garry's example, Ib looked down at the red rose and carefully plucked it out of the water. The moment she did, the water in the tiny vase vanished and the scarlet rose looked more refreshed than it had while it was sitting in the glass container. It felt like it was almost pulsating in her hand as she examined it.

"It's as if it doesn't want to be let go of," Ib said as she closed her eyes to take in its aroma, "And it's overflowing with life."

"That's what I felt," he agreed, "If these roses have something to do with our memory, maybe if we collect more petals we'll figure out what we forgot."

Ib cocked her head to the side. "You mean me too?" she asked.

"Of course. I mean, you feel as if you're forgetting something right?" he replied matter-of-factly, "Maybe we can figure it out if we find some glowing red petals?"

The girl gave him a look of disbelief. "I don't think it will be as easy as some RPG," she said. Not that she had ever played such a video game before, she only heard about them from the people in the class.

Garry laughed. "Perhaps, but it doesn't hurt to try," he said chuckling, "If our guess is right that some of my memory came back because of that petal, we should try and find another one to confirm whether or not that's the reason."

She couldn't argue with that reasoning. It was really all they had to go by and if there was an off chance that she could find out why she cried everytime she thought of the lonesome portrait, she'd gladly take up the risks. Not to mention they could possibly find the exit out of this odd place if they explored some more. But the first order of business was to find a way out of this crystal dome. Ib slipped out of her seat and looked around again for some type of exit but all the walls were solid and covered with dense rose vines and thorns.

"I guess in order to go searching, we need to find a way out of here first," the older man said as he stood up from his chair. As if responding to his statement, a section of vines behind him shifted to reveal a pair of glass ornate doors. Ib and Garry stared at the doors and then at each other.

"That was oddly convenient wasn't i-?" he paused mid-sentence as he looked down at his arm.

"Hn?" Ib followed his line of sight and found her hand gripping his sleeve. She blushed and released her hold in an instant. "I-I'm s-sorry," she said as she stepped back, "that just startled me is all."

"N-No, it's alright it startled me too," he said as his cheeks turned light pink, "if you ever feel sacred don't…um… hesitate to grab on…to…I mean…just…" He looked down to hide his bashfulness. _What am I saying? _He thought to himself. _She barely knows me and I'm coming off as some old flirt. I mean, she's cute but she's rather young…how old am I anyway? In any case, I'm definitely older than she is. I wonder what she'll look like in the future. She'll probably be really pretty when she's older. I mean she's already this cu-WHAT AM I THINKING?! _

As Garry was fighting his newly found inner demons, the young girl watched him make some rather comedic expressions. She didn't quite understand what he was saying or thinking, but she knew he was trying to be as comforting as he could. She giggled a she watched him pace around and scramble his head. _He isn't a bad person._ She thought as she looked down at the red rose. _Maybe I'll remember whatever this feeling is inside of me if we go on. And I wouldn't mind going on an adventure with my favorite painting._ She nodded as she set her mind to it and gently took Garry's hand, bringing him back to reality.

"Come on," she said smiling brightly at him, "Let's go find our memories, Garry."

He blushed lightly and swallowed his thoughts. "Sure," he merrily replied as he calmed down. He looked towards the door and then back at Ib. "Ib, I know we're going to go look for whatever memories we've forgotten, but I'm going to get you out of here," he said with a serious tone. He dropped to one knee and lightly cupped her hand into his as he gazed up at her with his deep pale violet eyes. "From the sound of it, it's kind of my fault you're stuck here and I don't want to leave a girl all by herself in this strange place. I can't remember what happened but I'm going to send you back home. I promise."

_A promise…_

Ib's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Garry. She took a deep breath before shaking her head. "Not just me," she said with a smile pulling her hand away, "Let's both get out of here after we find our memories, together. Okay?" She held her right pinky out to him for completion of their agreement. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at Garry. _Maybe this is childish of me._ She thought as she looked at her tiny finger and began to withdraw it.

His eyes blinked in surprise at her words but he smiled. "Alright, it's a promise," he grinned locking pinkies with her. "Let's both do our best to get back what we've forgotten and find a way out here, partner!"

* * *

Happy that she had a new friend and a fresh promise, Ib nodded and tightened her pinky with Garry's. The man then rose to his feet and the two began to walk towards the glass door. Unbeknownst to the pair, someone was observing them from the shadows—watching their every move and guiding their every step.

The individual smiled from the cover of roses. _"You best keep that promise, Ib," _the low voice echoed from afar, _"Because you're the only one that can."_

* * *

**And that brings chapter 2 to a close.  
Who is that is watching them?  
I don't know. Actually I do.  
*SHOT*  
I apologize, as always, if the characters went OOC.  
I hate it when they do. So I'm sorry if they did.  
I hope you enjoyed reading.  
I would like to thank all my readers,  
faves, followers, and reviewers~!  
I was surprised how many faves and followers I got  
just from one chapter. But I'm very thankful.  
Please drop a review and tell me what you think of the  
story so far.  
I enjoy reading them and they help motivate me to write.  
R&R=love~!  
Thank you and see you next time~!  
-Lin**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here goes chapter 3~  
This story has been getting popular so  
thank you all so very much for reading~!  
This is a bit longer than the other two chapters  
but only because a few things happen in it~  
Well I hope you all enjoy~  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "IB" OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. KOURI DOES.  
I DO HOWEVER, OWN THIS FANFIC.  
Happy reading~**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**out of the bushes into the abyss**

Their footsteps echoed as they made their way to the glass doors. As they stepped towards them, Ib noticed that the room was gradually getting darker. Garry also took notice to this and started to pick up the pace.

"Looks like it's curtains closed for this place," he said as he grabbed Ib's hand, "Let's hurry."

Ib nodded as she began to trot to keep up with Garry's long strides. The blue roses around them began to dull and darken as if they were being burned by some unseen flame. And when they stepped through the doors the roses dissolved into nothing but black ash. But before Ib could react, the door closed behind them and the once beautiful glass dome faded to the shadows.

They had taken several steps forward before Garry stopped in his tracks. It was dark and there was no hint of a light to be found. Her grip on Garry's hand tightened as the fear of being trapped alone in this dark mysterious place terrified her.

"Ib, are you alright?" she heard him ask.

"Yes, I'm okay," she answered a little out of breath.

"That's good. Now to find some sort of light," Garry said as he tried to make out any sort of shapes around them. When he couldn't, he patted his coat to see if he had anything on him. "Um, Ib do you think you could hold onto my jacket? I'm going to check to see if there's anything in my pockets."

"Oh, um, sure," she replied as she carefully released his hand and felt for the edge of his coat. Her hands felt around in the dark as they traveled down and around his slender figure. But Garry wasn't expecting her to pat his rear.

"GUWAH!"

"I-I'm sorry!" she immediately replied moving her hand back up to his waist.

"N-No, it's okay," he said. He was thankful it was dark since she would have see his face turn into a beet red if there was light.

"I think I got it," a small voice came up from behind him as she grabbed what felt like the bottom of his tattered coat.

"O-Okay, great…um, hang on a sec," he said as he began to rummage through his pockets. Feeling nothing in his left pocket, he put his blue rose in it as he felt around his right. At first he didn't feel much till his right hand caressed over something cold and hard. "Hn?" He pulled out the unknown metal object and tried to feel out what it was.

"Did you find anything?"

"I found…something…but I don't know what it i-oh it opens. Um…hn? What is th-OW!" A small spark of light appeared for a split second before the darkness came back.

"Are you okay?!" Ib jumped a bit startled at Garry's sudden jerk and yelp.

"Ow…Y-Yeah I just burned myself," he replied as he licked his injured finger, "Looks like I have a lighter but I dropped it." Ib felt Garry kneel down and in response, she too dropped down to help find the lighter. She was sure not to let go of him, feeling she'd be swept away by the shadows if she did. "Aw, geez, I can't find it…I swear I heard it fall around here though," Garry mumbled as felt around. "Ib, whatever you do, don't let go."

"Okay," she replied as she also felt around with her one free hand, trying to be as useful as she could be. _It's not anywhere. But I swear I heard it land somewhere around me…_

_ "Oh dear, is this what you are looking for, I wonder?" _asked a smooth voice.

"Eh?" Ib looked up and saw the lighter a few feet away from her. "There it is!" she exclaimed as she turned towards Garry but he was no longer there. _Huh? But I-Oh no! I let go of him!_

_ "Don't be scared, it's only me,"_ the voice said as it beckoned for her.

The young girl hesitated but the voice was oddly familiar—it was the same voice from the museum. Ib swallowed hard, "W-Who are you?" she asked.

_"Who am I? Such a silly girl,"_ it replied as the lighter flickered on for half a second._ "It's only me."_

In that moment of light, she only saw a smile—a kind but dark smile. The voice and the smile eerily reminded her of Garry's but something was different about them. Yet, before she could grasp what it was she was awakened by a bright light.

"IB! Ib! Oh thank goodness you're okay," said Garry with a smile of relief. "When I heard you faint I panicked and ran towards some random direction. Before I knew it, the lights were on."

She looked up at the man with her scarlet eyes. They were filled with a mixture of emotions. _It's Garry … was that just a dream? I don't remember passing out though…_

The straggly haired man frowned with concern. "Ib? Are you okay?" he asked as he put his hand to her forehead, "You don't have a fever…Did you have a nightmare or something?"

_Ah…his hand is so warm. It feels nice. Whatever I saw, it wasn't him. _

Ib smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing, I just feel a bit dizzy is all," she replied.

"Oh, well if you say so. But don't hesitate to tell me if you don't feel well," he said as he patted her on the head before his gaze dropped down to her hand. "Hn? Are you holding something?"

"What?" the little miss looked at her left hand that was tightly holding the red rose. But she then noticed that Garry was pointing to her right hand. Ib sat up straight and opened her hand up to reveal the shiny silver lighter. "When did this…?"

"Hey you found it! Maybe you grabbed it unconsciously right before you passed out?" Garry positively hypothesized.

Ib stared intensely at it as she recalled her "dream" with the silhouetted smile and fuzzy voice. Something was trying to talk to her but she had no idea whether it was a good or bad entity. But whatever it was, it had some connection to both her, and Garry. It gave her an ominous feeling in her gut and Ib hoped that it was nothing but her nerves.

It was obvious that something was picking at Ib's mind and something had the poor girl spooked. But from how it looked, she didn't want to talk to Garry about it. In all fairness, they did JUST meet but he was concerned to how her mental state was holding up with being in their current situation.

There wasn't much he could do for her so he hesitantly reached his hand out placed it on the top of her head causing her to look up at him. "I know we're in a crazy situation but, if you ever feel like it's too much you can always talk to me," he said with a soft smile. He gave her a V-sign to tell her they would be alright, "We're getting out of this place together, after all."

The young girl nodded and returned the small smile. It was sweet that he was trying to cheer her up but, he was in a tight situation as well. He had no recollection of who he was, besides his name, and there was a chance he was actually a human from the real world. Ib couldn't be selfish and act scared and weak. She had to be strong and find her own strength—she wasn't a little girl anymore.

Ib got to her feet and handed Garry his lighter. "Thank you, Garry. I'm alright now, really," she said as the man gave her one last concerned smile before she took a deep breath. "So where are we?" she asked as she looked around the empty hallway.

Garry pocketed his lighter and scratched his head. "I'm not sure, there's no doors or windows…," he replied.

The hallway branched off into various directions, each leading to another hallway that split into more hallways. It was confusing, and the glass doors that they had previously walked through had vanished into a long extended corridor. Ib had no idea where to go. She had heard sticking to the right side of the wall would be useful but that didn't seem to apply here.

"Well, we're not going to accomplish anything by standing around," spoke Garry as he looked down a random hallway, "Let's try going down this one and see what we can find."

Seeing how there really wasn't any other choice, the duo began to walk down their choice hall. Their footsteps echoed eerily and Ib couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. To keep safe, she stuck rather close to Garry making sure he was no more than a step ahead of her. The young man was also keeping track of Ib, as he glanced next to him every now and then to make sure she was still with him. The two turned down several halls and found themselves utterly lost, not that they weren't already. However, it was a bit odd that they had not found any sort of door or window.

When the two stopped for a break Garry slid his back against a wall and sat on the floor. "This is ridiculous," he said with an irritated sigh, "There's nothing here."

Ib joined him against the wall and brought her knees to her chest. "Maybe we just need to try harder," she said, "There has to be a goal at the end of this."

The man gave her a look of disbelief, "You're really positive, you know that?" he said as he slumped against the wall. He then gave her a small tired smile. "But that's not a bad thing," he said as he looked up at the dull ceiling. "You're probably right, but this is starting to get annoying," he said banging the back of his head lightly against the wall.

The wall echoed on impact. "Hn?" Garry tilted his head to the side and he propped himself back up and knocked against the wall. His brow furrowed. "This wall is hollow," he said looking down at his young female companion, "Maybe there's a door around here somewhere."

"I didn't see anything when we walked around this area," she said as she tapped on the opposite wall. "But you are right, it sounds different from this one."

Just as the words left Ib's mouth, a very clear sound resonated through the air. The sound startled the pair but they found the sudden noise to be rather soothing. It sounded like the echo of drops of water dripping into a pool. The two turned towards the hollow wall and the same beautiful sound repeated once more.

"Sounds like there's water or something on the other side of this thing," said Garry as the pure sound echoed once more.

The mention of water suddenly made Ib's mouth go dry. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was. The duo decided it'd be best to find some way into the closed off room—seeing how it was providing them another option besides a collection of endless hallways. Like Ib had said before, there was no sort of door, but after walking around it and tapping it repeatedly, they had confirmed it was definitely some sort of room.

As they completed a third lap around the section Garry let out an irritated sigh, "It's like this place is mocking us," he said glaring at the wall, "what if it's just our minds are just playing games with us?"

The brown haired girl closed her eyes as she lowered her head to focus on the sound of water. "If they're playing games with us then we have no choice but to play along," she answered. When another clear echo rang out, she shook her head, "But I think that there really is something behind this wall." She opened her eyes and came face to face with her feet.

_"If you go too deep, the harder it will be to find a way out,"_ whispered the wispy voice, _"but if that is what you want then, follow me."_

When the voice vanished, she blinked a few times and saw a trail of small dried blue rose petals by her feet that lead back around the corner of the wall. She swallowed since she knew that those delicate petals were not there a second ago and the thought made her uneasy.

Ib turned to the still pondering Garry. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

His scruffy hair shifted as he cocked his head. "Hear what?" he replied, confused.

"Oh, nothing," she lied.

_It looks like I'm the only one that can hear that voice. But why? What does it want from me?_

"Ib? Are you feeling okay?" Garry asked as he leaned over to her eye level. "Do you want to rest for a bit?"

Her cheeks lightly pinked as she shook her head. "N-No I'm alright!" she quickly and forcefully answered. It made her happy that he was concerned for her, even though they barely knew each other. But as she had thought, seeing his face up close, reminded her of the pangs of sadness that she had whenever she looked at his portrait. He may not have perfected good looks but, he still had looks. His soft features were like that of a woman's and his gentle characteristics matched perfectly with his personality.

However, that kindness reminded her of her heart ache. Ib swallowed back her sadness and looked away as she pointed at the rose petals. "I'm guessing we have to follow them," she reasoned. Garry looked down and presented a unsettling quizzed look.

He dropped to a knee and poked one of the tiny petals. "When did these get here?" he asked full of suspicion as he rose to his feet.

"I think they just appeared," she replied as she watched the lean man rise to his feet. "Should we follow them?"

By the look on his face he didn't want to but it seemed as if they didn't have a choice. "It really is like some role-playing game," he muttered under his breath, "Ib stay close behind me."

Her red eyes nodded as Garry's violet eyes followed the path of petals. He took a deep breath before walking down the path set before them. As they rounded the corner, his mouth dropped, "What in the world…"

She peeked around him and saw that a dark blue door had suddenly appeared on the wall. "That definitely wasn't there before," she said blinking at the indigo door. Garry let out a shaky breath as he walked towards it.

"This place is getting weirder and weirder," he said as he cautiously touched the door with his fingertips. They travelled down the hard smooth wood and grabbed the black metal doorknob. "Let's see if it opens," he said as he turned the knob. A loud 'clink' bounced off the walls as he pushed the door open with ease.

The door creaked loudly as it opened and the room was dark except for a small spotlight on the far end's wall. In the spotlight was a picture-less frame with a dried out blue and red rose nailed upside down, by their stems, in the center of it. They almost looked like two people that were crucified for sins that they did not commit. It was both pitiful and disturbing how human-like they were.

Locked in a trance, Ib felt herself step into the room. "Ib? Hey, Ib!" Garry yelled as he tried to stop her but it was too late, "Wait a moment!" Once he stepped into the room after her, the door behind them closed and vanished. "No way!" he said spinning on his heel as he jiggled the lock.

Ib, on the other hand didn't react to him or the door. She continued to walk towards the two roses with her gaze set on the dried red rose. As she got closer the sounds of dried dead petal crunched beneath her feet and she reached out for the scarlet rose. The nearer she got, the more vital the roses on the wall became. Garry spun around and looked towards the entranced brunette, "Ib! Don't touch them! This might be a trap!"

His warnings were in vain as Ib's hearing was blurred by the sight of the framed roses. The two flowers almost looked like they were glowing and with no hesitation in her movements, Ib touched the glass like petal of the hanged red rose. Much like the blue petal from before, the roses shattered into thousands of tiny shards and rushed towards their rightful owners as they pieced themselves back into a single petal on each of their roses. And like before, flashbacks of some unknown time returned.

A scene of the previous Guertena art exhibit whizzed through Ib's memories. But it was different from how she had remembered. It was dark and no one was around and she was falling into the dark sea painting, _Abyss of the Deep_. Pieces were still missing but the memory that was contained in that particular red rose was one of her falling into those obscure waters. _What…is this? I don't…understand…Did I…go through something like this before? And how? Why?_

The questions were left unanswered as she snapped from her memory reel. The young girl wobbled a bit before crutching her balance on the wall. Drops of sweat slid down her brow as she held the side of aching head. If this is what is felt like to get memories back, then she prayed she'd get used to it.

"I remembered…I've been in a place…like this before," Ib said holding the wall. When she didn't get an immediate answer, she looked over towards the man, "Garry?"

He was still in some sort of petrified state as his eyes were glassed over and his pupils were moving erratically. Ib made her way towards him to check if he was okay. As she approached, his shoulders eased up and he swooned a bit before catching himself. His hand held his forehead as he let out a long breath of air.

"Garry?" Ib called out again as she slowly touched his arm.

"Ib…," he said as he looked down at her. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that," she said with her big red eyes filled with worry.

He rubbed his eyes with his forefingers. "I'm fine," he said. "Looks like I went to a Guertena art exhibit before," he reported, "I don't recall much, but I remember looking at various pieces."

Ib cocked her head to the side. "You went to one of his exhibits?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Apparently," he answered as he looked down at his new petal, "I went to the exhibit to get some inspiration for a design in one of my classes." However, he sounded less than amused that he got some fragment of his memory back. Instead, he was giving her a stern look. "More importantly don't go running off like that!" he scolded, "It's dangerous and if something happened to you I'd-"

"A design?" Ib blinked, ignoring his attempt to lecture her.

Garry's hard look melted into confused disbelief that she had shrugged off his scolding like it was nothing. "O-Oh, I am…or rather, was…a college student. I liked designing clothes," he answered monotone like, still in shock that he was shut down by such a small little miss. "B-But more importantly, you have to be more ca-!"

Like any girl, she had little to some interest in clothes and fashion. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed pink at her excitement. "You remembered something wonderful!" she said jumping up to look at him with a bright smile. "How lovely! I would love to see some of your designs! They're probably really nice! How exciting! Oh wow, I wonder what college you went to. That's splendid! I've never met a designer before!" she rambled on as she bounced up and down in excitement.

The young man had no idea how to deal with the situation but he couldn't stay mad at her seeing how happy she was at the moment. Whether that happiness was aimed towards him or towards herself it didn't matter. Just seeing her so happy and lively lit a warm feeling inside of him, and he couldn't help but to crack a smile.

"Wow, how wonderful," Ib sighed as she began to calm down. "Oh dear. I'm sorry, I was so excited I cut you off in your sentence. What were you saying?"

His one visible eye blinked at her before he let out a small chuckle. "Geez, you're one busy girl, you know that?" he giggled. "But, I was saying you need to be more careful and not just charge into things like that again. This place could be dangerous and who knows what could happen," he mildly lectured. He reached his hand out and stroked her head. "If something happened to you I don't know what I'd do."

Ib blushed out of embarrassment and guilt for making him worry. "I'm sorry," she said lowering her head. "I wasn't thinking clearly and…I got entranced by those roses. I'm sorry."

"Hey now, no need to get so upset. Given, it did scare me when you were acting like you were under some spell but I guess it happens. I mean, I also fell into a similar state when I touched that one blue petal before," he compromised. "But from here on out, we need to keep on our toes and not fall to our desires. We can't just charge at every rose that shines. We're not crows after all."

She nodded in agreement. It was apparent that those memory roses were able to manipulate them if their desires and hearts were vulnerable and weak. Which was understandable considering they WERE a piece of them and thus is was plausible that the fragments were calling out to them. But being put into a state like that was dangerous. So Ib had to be on alert and not get too sucked into her heart's need to regain its missing memories.

Seeing how Ib understood him, gave Garry some sense of ease and accomplishment. Even though they hadn't been with each other for very long, he felt himself growing more and more attached to her. But he found it odd that he was feeling such growing affection at such a fast rate. It was as if his body knew her from long before.

"_She's who you've been waiting for all this time,"_ echoed a small familiar voice in the back of his mind.

He shook his head. _No, I've never met her before…right?_

"So how do we get out of here?" pondered Ib aloud, as she looked around the small room. "Also, I thought there was going to be some water in here."

Garry also examined the room. "Beats me, the door's locked and won't budge. And now that you mention it, I don't see any sort of leak and I haven't heard a drop of water since."

And like the domino-effect, the room went dark and they two fell into a sudden pool of water.

"IB!"

Garry quickly brought Ib into his chest before they were submereged. She could hear his heart was racing and so was hers as they touched ground. They both had their eyes squinted shut and both were holding thier breath. But in the distance, they heard something that sounded like the song of a humpback whale. It wasn't long after that, that a dim light began to pour into the darkness and flickered about them as if they were underneath an arch of water. In fact they WERE underwater. As they slowly opened thier eyes, they found it safe to let go of one another. The quiet room with the picture frame was gone and had been replaced with the sounds of the sea and the sight of the bottom of the ocean floor. Garry opened his mouth and a few bubbles drifted upward. He blinked a few times till it finally clicked that he was breathing.

"We're…underwater?" mumbled Garry as he looked around him in disbelief. "How…did we…how are we even breathing?"

He was confused but he wasn't alone. Ib was equally mystified but the scene was all too familiar to her thanks to her recently returned memory. She had been in this place before—in this painting, before.

"We're in a painting," Ib said as she looked up over her head.

"Huh? How is that possible?" Garry quizzed, "I mean, I might be a painting but, how are we in another one?"

Ib bit her lip as she tried to convert her thoughts to words. "I'm not sure but I definitely know that this is another painting since I've been in this one before," she replied trying to tremble.

The man froze. "You…You've gone through this before?"

"I'm pretty sure I've gone through something similiar," she replied trying to gather up her thoughts. "Ever since I got here, I have had this bad sense of nostalgia and the memory that came back to me earlier was of me falling into Guertena's deep sea painting, _Abyss of the Deep_," she said trying not to sound as panicked as she was, "and this is it."

Garry tried to comprehend that he was now a painting within another painting and he was trying not to have an episode. He had to stay calm for her sake, but as it was right now, Ib was holding up better than he was.

He crossed his arms and brought a hand to rub his temples. "So what you're telling me is that, we've somehow traveled from one painting to another," he said trying to remain composed and collected.

Ib thought for a moment. "Well if we consider that rose garden room the home of _The Forgotten Portrait_ and this the _Abyss of the Deep_, then yes, we have," she honestly answered.

Garry held his head and let out a soft chuckle as he tried to wrap his head around their situation. "This place keeps getting crazier by the minute," he chuckled under his breath, "if we go by that hypothesis then those hallways were leading to other paintings. But if that's the case, why were there no doors?"

The fourteen year old shrugged timidly. "I'm not sure. Maybe each painting has a life of its own and they wanted privacy? I mean, it would be rather unsettling if just anyone could break into your house," she said as she gazed at the dark ocean waters, "And it's possible that there are other ways to get into the other paintings. Perhaps, that hallway was just a connector from this painting to _The Forgotten Portrait_."

The man let out a sigh of defeat and burshed a hand through his hair. "Well just thinking about it won't get us anywhere. We found some pieces of our memory in this painting but," he began, as he looked around them, "now we have to find a way out of here."

"Sure but, it's odd how we're not even floating" observed Ib, "And I don't feel wet at all."

"What? Huh…? You're right," he said as he felt his hair and clothes. "And, you can breathe in here too," he said with a smile, "that's pretty neat."

Ib giggled at the grown man. _He was scared a minute ago and now he was smiling like a child in a candy shop._ "Well, maybe we should try and swim up and out of here then?" she suggested.

"It wouldn't hurt to try. I mean there's nowhere to go but up," he said smiling at her. Garry then extended his hand out to the young red eyed maiden with a mild smile. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and gripped her red rose as she slowly took his hand. The lavender-haired man gave it a light squeeze before the two pushed up on the seafloor and began to swim upwards. "It doesn't feel like water," she commented as she watched little bubbles come out of her mouth, "It really is like before."

It was an odd sensation to be swimming in what felt more like air than water. It was dark but it was very relaxing. As they swam upward, a large glowing light suddenly appeared below them. It was so bright and beautiful, and on closer inspection it was a fish. The two stopped and stared at the giant glowing angler fish as it gently moved beneath them. It gaped its large mouth open as it began to slowly swim around in a circle as if trying to show them something.

"Look there," Garry said as he pointed at a spot on the ocean floor. Ib squinted her eyes to see some sort of pile of rubble. "It looks like some closed off passageway," he said.

Ib frowned as she stared at the now blocked off hole. "I think I went through that way the first time," she said as she felt an unimaginable fear rising up in her as she looked at the covered passage.

"Well, I don't know about you but, I don't want to go in there," he said noticing Ib's hand gradually tightening around his. "Come on, let's keep going," he said giving a small squeeze to her hand.

She waved to the giant glowing angler as it began to swim away towards some unknown destination. In her mind, Ib wondered what it was trying to tell them by showing them that closed off passageway. _Are you telling me I don't have to worry about my forgotten past? Or are you warning me about something?_

As the duo continued to swim up, the abandoned passageway continued to rot away. If the two had decided to inspect it further, they would have noticed a number of thorny blue rose vines welding together the rubble as if marking or sealing away the forbidden and long forgotten world.

* * *

It wasn't long after that, that they saw a light coming from above the water. From there they pushed to break through to the other side and popped their heads out only to find they were in the middle of a light rainstorm.

Ib and Garry swam over to a shadowy bank that had some cover from the rain. It was interesting that the ocean water kept them dry but the rain was wet as it was in the real world. The dark strip of land was the driest place they could find as a small cliff hung over head making it an ideal shelter.

"It isn't stopping is it?" commented Garry as he watched the rain fall down. When he didn't get an answer he looked over to see Ib was shivering from the cold. "Oh dear. Um, hang on…."

It was considerably colder on land than it was in the water and Ib didn't have many layers on clothes on her. Garry stripped off his coat and put it around the small girl before he grabbed a few sticks and dry moss. Making a small pit, he pulled out his lighter and lit a fire for warmth. _Was it alright for me to light a fire in a painting?_ He shook off the thought and peered over at the girl as she dreamily gazed into the flames. She looked so tired and worn out, and who could blame her? She had been through a lot in the past several hours.

Garry sat next to her as she started to nod off. "Get some sleep, Ib," he said as she continued to fight her tiredness, "You need the rest."

She nodded wearily one last time. "Okay…Good night…Garry…and…thank…y…ou…," she mumbled as she slumped on Garry's shoulder into a deep sleep. He smiled and stroked her head as the fire crackled and flicked in the dark and shadowy scenery.

"Sweet dreams, Ib," he whispered as he closed his eyes to listen to the pouring rain. He wasn't as tired as she was (perhaps due to him possibly being a painting) but he needed some rest. But he felt anxious—he didn't want to sleep. After several minutes of listening to the rain a soft chilling voice echoed in Garry's ear.

"_You may be a painting, Garry, but you must sleep,_" it whispered.

_I don't want to._

"_Why not?_" It questioned. "_Isn't that what you have been doing this whole time?_"

_I don't know. But, I'm scared that I won't wake up again._

The voice chuckled lowly. "_Silly forgotten man,_" it softly mused, "_that girl is here now so you won't be trapped in your slumber again. So rest, so that you may be of help to her when she wakes up._"

_For her…huh? …if it's for her then…_

The inner conversation was disturbingly familiar. But Garry couldn't help the tiredness coming over him. And before long, he too, fell asleep. The wood snapped and cackled as the fire flickered in the endless rainy night as the two lost travelers slept.

* * *

In the distance, the vines of blue roses crept up and constricted a silhouetted tree. "_Rest easy, dearest Garry. You will not be captive to another endless sleep…yet,_" the voice echoed, "_Till then, continue to watch over Ib."_

And like a drop on water, the voice dissolved into the pool of the abyss.

* * *

**End of chapter 3 and onto chapter 4~  
This actually didn't take me as long to write than I  
thought it would. But I've been busy with  
school so I apologize if release dates for chapters  
are late.  
Yes. Painting hopping. It's what they do.  
I hope Garry and Ib didn't go too OOC and I hope  
you enjoyed the chapter.  
I wonder who's watching them~  
Well all in due time it will be revealed.  
Thank you all for reading, faving, watching, and  
reviewing.  
I love you all for doing so~  
Please R&R~  
Drop in a review to tell me what you think and like  
about the story~  
It motivates me greatly~  
Until next time~  
-Lin  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone~  
Sorry for the delay in updates but I've been  
pretty busy with projects at school.  
Thank you very much for keeping an interest in my story  
And I hope you enjoy chapter 4.  
It's a slow chapter and not much happens but it  
is pretty important so enjoy.  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "IB" OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. KOURI DOES.  
I DO HOWEVER OWN THIS FANFIC. **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**a talk over coffee and cake**

The scenery was dark and damp from the earlier rainfall and there wasn't a soul in sight. Ib woke up to the dead silence as she rubbed her eyes. The sky was grey and looked as if it would start another downpour at any given moment. She shifted to get up but noticed the heavy weight on her shoulders. Her crimson eyes processed the tattered coat as her small hands further bundled the warm fabric around her. A groan next to her caused her to turn her head. Garry was still sleeping like a big baby. Ib smiled as she quietly rose to her feet and gently blanketed the coat over the slumbering gentleman.

_I should try and find some more wood or help. _She thought as she looked around the landscape. She looked one last time at Garry before she set off. _I won't go too far. I'd hate to get lost here alone._

And with her resolve set in place, Ib tip toed off to find some more firewood.

As she ventured around the tiny perimeter she had set for herself, she noticed how everything in this painting was nothing but shadows and silhouettes. Now that she had gotten herself a good night's rest she was able to think more clearly. Her stomach growled and Ib was suddenly reminded of how hungry and thirsty she was. A good sleep was good but it wasn't enough to fill her empty belly and need for something to quench her thirst. Ib let out a sigh, and decided to figure out what painting they were in to keep her mind off of her hunger pains. She knew Guertena's works by heart, so it was up to her to identify this one.

"Let's see," she began as she picked up a twig, "it was raining earlier and this scape is nothing but black shadows so, that would mean the painting we're in now is…"

Just as she was about to say the title, she sensed a presence behind her and quickly turned to look over her shoulder. The sticks she had collected fell from her arms as she let out a gasp; the sound echoed over the dreary background as the thunder rumbled up in the clouds.

Garry let out a moan as the thunder broke him from his sleep. He stretched his arms out over his head and let out a yawn. "That was refreshing," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but I'd much rather have slept in a bed…hn?"

He looked down and found that his black coat was slumped over him like a barber cape. He blinked and looked next to him to find that the girl, that the coat was previously swung over, was nowhere to be found. Without a second thought, Garry jumped to his feet and erratically ran out from under the cover of the bank. He franticly looked around the grey scape trying to catch any sort of glimpse of the young girl, "Ib? IB?! IB!"

_Where could she have run off to? What if something happened to her? Okay, clam down Garry, maybe she just went to find some more wood, but how long has she been gone? Dammit! I have no idea what's out there…If something got to her then, I-_

"I wouldn't be able to handle that!" he blurted out as he fought back some panicked tears.

"Handle what?" came a familiar sweet voice.

Garry spun on his heel to find Ib staring at him with a puzzled look on her face. Garry's expression turned from extreme anxiety to overwhelming relief. "Thank goodness you're alright," he sighed as he collapsed to his knees. "I thought something happened to you."

"I-I'm sorry," she said as she quickly knelt down to Garry. "I went to go look for firewood."

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I guessed as much but I let my nerves get to me is all," he said as ran a hand through his hair. "So where's the wo-?!"

Garry scooted back two feet when he realized that Ib and him weren't alone. A shadow figure holding a folded bright red umbrella stood behind the girl. Garry could tell it was a person but she had no features in her, she was nothing more than a three-dimensional shadow. He looked to Ib as if telling her to get away from whatever it was.

"I-Ib, t-there's something b-behind you," he stuttered as he tried not to cry.

"Huh?" Ib turned around and looked at the shadow woman before turning back to the frightened man, "It's okay, she's the inhabitant of this painting. She won't hurt us."

"Inhabi-what?" He smiled out of confusion and fear.

The shadow woman bowed her head to him as Ib helped the man to his feet. "We're in her painting," continued Ib, "This is the painting, _Lady With Her Umbrella_."

Garry turned his eyes from Ib to the woman and gave a slight bob of the head, "H-Hi," he coughed as he cleared his throat, "I apologize for the rude introduction."

The woman shook her head, "Do not apologize," a kind female voice echoed, "It is not every day that someone enters my world."

The violet rose-head jumped again as the ghostly voice entered his thoughts. "What the-?!" he let out as he held his head and looked around him before he turned to the woman once again, "I-Is that y-you?"

"Yes, this is the only way I am capable of communicating," she elegantly replied.

Ib chuckled, "Garry, not all the paintings are going to talk to us the way you do."

He blushed out of embarrassment. "R-Right."

Ib stepped between the two and smiled up at Garry. "Anyway, this lady told me there's a place that we can get food and water. She is even willing to take us there," Ib said.

The man couldn't help but to be a bit suspicious of the mysterious painting woman but seeing how Ib was looking at him with food-dreaming eyes, he couldn't say no. "Alright, but you're staying close to me just in case something happens," he said.

He might not have been the bravest guy in the world but he was still a guy. And he felt the dire need to protect the young girl. Ib nodded and she took hold of Garry's hand. "It'll be alright, I'll protect you if something attacks you," she giggled.

"Wha-NO. Other way around!" he exclaimed turning red. The comment had caught him off guard and his masculinity felt like it had just taken a major blow to the head.

"I'm kidding," Ib joked, " We'll protect each other so let's go."

The lady turned around and began to walk away like a figure in a graveyard, "This way," her voice echoed as the woman took careful steps on the darkly painted grass. Garry threw on his coat as he and Ib trotted after the silhouette. As they walked, the sky rumbled once again.

"Looks like rain," Ib said as she looked up at the threatening sky.

"The rain will not come less I summon it, dear," the woman gently replied as she delicately carried her umbrella.

"Oh, I see," Ib said as she looked at the crimson parasol. "If I recall, your painting is of a rainy day and you're with an open umbrella…does that mean it will rain if you open up your umbrella?" Ib asked, trying to make some conversation.

The woman's voice had a twinge of mild amusement. If the two could see the lady's mouth, she was probably smiling. "What a clever girl," she said, "Yes, that is how it works my dear."

Ib smiled and continued to talk to the lady with the umbrella as Garry looked around at the various shadow trees and foliage. There was no real color in this painting besides the umbrella, and Garry had guessed it was the sake for visual contrast. However, he couldn't help but to feel a bit lonely as he gazed around the drawl scenery. If he had been a painting, he wondered if he had ever felt lonesome being trapped in a space all by himself. He didn't remember if that was the case, but if it was, there was little doubt in his mind that he was lonely being trapped in a void alone.

"Here we are," the woman said as they stopped in front of a small coffee shop. Garry looked around him to find that they were in a new space with some color in it.

"Garry? Is something wrong?" Ib asked as she tugged on his hand.

"Ah, no, just thinking to myself is all," he replied with a smile, "So, this is the place?"

The woman nodded and opened the door to the small quaint café. The second the door opened the waft of warm baked goods and freshly brewed coffee filled the senses. Ib's stomached growled and Garry curiously wondered if the café had macarons.

The shop was small and was completely empty but it smelled as if someone had been baking. The umbrella woman took a seat at a wooden table with a small empty porcelain vase as Ib and Garry sat across from her. As Ib and Garry took their seats, plates of cakes appeared in front of them, paired with cups of tea and coffee. The two looked to each other baffled at the sudden appearance of food and drink. It seemed as if the café responded to their hunger and need for substance.

"Please, eat," said the woman as she elegantly sat across from them. "It will do you no harm, you two are hungry, are you not?"

Garry swallowed hard and popped a tiny piece of the moist cake into his mouth. It was sweet and the wondrous flavor melted on his tongue. "It tastes great," he said with a wide grin, "Ib, you have to try it."

Ib could not see the harm in eating. If she was going to die, she'd rather it be by something that tasted yummy. The girl nodded and partook in her slice of cake and sipped her cup of tea. After running on an empty stomach for so long, Ib's stomach rejoiced in bliss. The tea bubbled up the much needed warmth and she felt a sense of relaxation and satisfaction with the needed nourishment.

When the two of them were half way done, the lady with the umbrella spoke up once again, "If I may ask, what are you two doing here?"

Ib looked to Garry and then shook her head. "To be honest, we're not very sure."

"There are dangers in these artworks, terrible ones," the woman said. "If you are not careful you may find yourselves trapped in here."

Garry's hand twitched as he put down his cup with a small clank. The thought of being left in this painted world sent a chill up his spine. "T-That's never happened before," Garry began as his voiced cracked, "right?" Part of him didn't want to hear an answer while the other burned with curiosity.

Ib's red eyes glanced over to Garry with concern. She had noticed that he had been bothered by something ever since the possibility rose that he was once a human, not a painting. And, to be honest, it was piquing an interest in her as well. And then there was the issue of their missing memories. Was that also a coincidence too?

The woman of shadows sat in silence of a few seconds as if trying to find the right words to say. "It has," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "You are proof of that."

Garry's eyes could only widen at the confirmation of his fears. No words would come out even as he gaped his mouth open and close. Ib was the first to respond to her. "But how could that be possible? Why would someone do that?!" She desperately asked.

The woman shook her head. "I cannot answer that question. These paintings and pieces were created by a man whose love for his art tore his soul apart. Each piece has a part of him within them," she replied. "Memories are fragile and delicate things. They can be destroyed or painted over like paintings," she continued as she turned her attention to Garry, "as such I cannot give you the answers for which you seek. All I know is that you are not one of that man's original paintings."

Garry's glazed eyes locked onto the woman. "What do you mean?" he asked as he tried to remain calm. "You sound like you were there when this happened to me."

"I am aware that you are the painting of the sleeping portrait," she replied. "But because you woke up, I can say with confidence that you are not one of that man's paintings."

Ib's eyebrows furrowed. "Why is that? In the real world, _The Forgotten Portrait_ is a recognized piece of Guertena's."

"Each artwork serves a purpose and each was given a piece of our creator's spirit. Therefore, each piece will only do what they were meant to do," she answered. "If a sleeping portrait was what he painted then the figure will remain asleep. However, the figure in question woke up and possesses a soul of his own, not a piece of our master's. "

Garry could only blink as he tried to piece all of this information together. He was a painting but originally he was human. But the question of what happened between those two points was the issue. Not to mention, how did the voice in the deepest parts of his head fit into all of this? He then turned to Ib and wondered if she was connected somehow.

Ib couldn't help but to feel a twinge of anxiety as she looked on at Garry. He was fighting something within himself, and despite how he didn't want her to see that, she could read it in his eyes. Ib turned to the woman once more and asked the question that needed the most answering. "Do you know the way out of here?"

The woman did not hesitate in her answer. "You are already moving in the direction you should be," she replied as her dark hand pointed to Ib's rose, "When your roses are in full bloom the exit will reveal itself to you."

Ib looked down at her rose and clutched the flower gently in her hand. "Thank you very much for all your help," she said as she looked back up to the woman, "you were very helpful."

"I only know a little of what I hear from the other paintings' whispers," she said, "but you must be careful, my dear. Not all the works here are kind and if you do not harden your heart, you will not find your way out of this labyrinth."

The young girl slowly nodded and looked to Garry who was far from recovering from the shock. Her hand gently clasped his which tore him away from his forlorn thoughts. He looked over to the girl as her rabbit like eyes blinked at him as if telling him it would be alright and she wouldn't leave his side.

"Ib…," he muttered as he blankly looked at her. "Thank you," he said with a fake smile. "I'm okay Ib, really," he lied.

She knew he was lying as she released his hand and looked back at the woman. "I think we'll be okay, so long as we're together," she said as if trying to convince herself with her own words.

The woman slowly turned her head to look outside of the café window and she began to fade as the sound of thunder rolled in the distance. "Hopefully the past will not repeat itself…how cruel of fate to make you suffer through another endless nightmare," she whispered as she opened her umbrella, "but this time that world is not being used…I wonder who is behind this maze…"

Ib's eyes widened as she abruptly stood up from her seat. "Repeat?" she asked as the woman began to vanish, "Wait! Please! Tell me what happened when I was here last! Was I ever here before?!"

But before any of Ib's questions could be answered the woman dissolved into nothingness and the two travelers were left in the solitude of the café. Garry looked at Ib's back but he hesitated to touch her. He was struggling with his own problems. How could he support her if he couldn't even support himself. He had his own problems he had to deal with but it seemed as if he was not the only one that was suffering. He bit his lip out of frustration at his own helplessness. The two remained in the café in silence as it began to rain once more outside.

Ib sunk down into her seat as she tried to wrap her head around the idea that she had been in this situation before. Of course, with her memory shot, and no one around who was willing to give her any answers, she was cornered, and the only thing she could do was move forward to find those answers herself. She found her resolve as she looked at her small red rose bud and Garry. They were all she needed to swallow her uneasiness and fear. Like she had told herself before, she wasn't a little girl anymore and she had to grow up and be strong.

Garry looked out the large café window and watched the raindrops slip down the smooth, cold glass. His reflection stared back at him as he leaned back in his chair and reached into his pocket. His hand brushed against his blue rose, which he had completely forgotten about till now. He tenderly fished it out and stared into its vibrant petals. He was a human trapped in the body of a painting and if he wanted out, he would have to find the rest of his memories. It was a disturbing and surreal thought but now he had solid confirmation that he was really human and the memories he had regained were his and his alone. But most importantly—he didn't have to go through all of this alone in this world. He felt a small warm hand touch his and he gently intertwined his fingers with hers without either exchanging any words. He watched as the rain began to stop and the sunlight began to peek through the clouds.

"Let's head out after we eat a little bit more," Garry said with a reassuring smile as he continued to look out the window. "And let's try and remember where this café is, just in case we can't find any food."

"Then let's eat what we can to try and keep our strength up for now," Ib nodded and watched as the table filled with various baked goods and pot-pies. Garry took another sip of his tea and watched it refill itself. The two ate and drank to their heart's content till they could no more. It was as if the terrifying world that awaited them outside didn't even exist.

When the two had properly digested and rested up, they left the café wondering if it was alright to dine-and-dash. Ib mentioned to Garry that the café was probably the painting, "_Coffee and Cake_" so it was probably harmless to eat without paying. But even with that being said, it didn't sit right in either of their consciences but it could not be helped seeing how neither of the two had money on them. As the two walked off down the street to their next location, an eerie blue rose appeared in the once empty vase.

* * *

**So that's the end of chap 4.  
I wrote this so Garry and Ib would be able to  
get over thier fear of the unknown and move on with the  
story without too much stress of  
not knowing who they are and what happened.  
I also wrote this to help clarify that they  
are not in one particular painting like the _"Fabricated World".  
_They are in a maze of Guertena's paintings.  
I hope that was clear...if not I aplogize. oTL  
So, I guess the main part of the story starts next chapter with  
the two purely focusing on collecting thier petals and continuing  
going through various paintings.  
And, of course, deepening thier relationship.  
I hope you enjoyed and I apologize for not updating  
faster.  
Also, for clarification, Ib is about 14 years of age and Garry is  
about 18~19.  
Thank you all of the reviews so far and a big thank you to  
all the followers and faves.  
Thank you so much for reading, it really means alot!  
Please drop a review and I hope to see you guys soon~  
-Lin  
**


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